The Little Things
by 30SecondGoat
Summary: Ana Amari is not interested in Reinhardt Wilhelm. But if she was, she was certain he would certainly pick up on the little hints she would drop. Right? Set before the explosion at the Swiss Headquarters, AnaRein. Rated T for crude language and swearing.
1. Banana Pancakes

The sun rose slowly over Gibraltar, allowing its warmth and light to raise the Overwatch headquarters from its slumber. Birds began to chirp as the scenery brightened, illuminating the spots of green where grass dared to grow. Surrounding the base, the reddish-brown rocks seemed to shudder as they released the last of their chill into the air around them. With water on all sides, the temperature rarely varied more than a few degrees, keeping the inhabitants comfortable year round.

The sounds of life began to drift through the compound; coffee makers and teapots chimed in their morning duet, with shuffling footsteps providing the accompaniment. Stovetops and grills are lit and are joined by the scents of bacon, pancakes, fruit and syrup. A yawn here, a stretch-induced moan there, and soon the buzzing of morning life filled the small base.

Ana Amari strode into the breakfast hall, freshly washed and invigorated. It was what many considered an "R&R" day, with the only scheduled training being a review of paperwork and documentation that evening. Reyes and Morrison had decided to give the agents a bit of rest after a couple of taxing missions. However, that did not break her daily routine. One did not get to her level of expertise and skill by taking days off.

She smiled as she passed by her fellow agents, aware of the multiple sets of eyes following her. She ignored them; eyes had always followed her. Having inherited her mother's looks and her father's charm and confidence, she had never been at a loss for friends and admirers. Her own dedication and skill only seemed to add to their numbers, though she was often told she could be "intimidating".

She'd always smirked at that statement. Stand your ground and look a man in the eye, and he'd call any woman intimidating. Put him at the other end of her scope and she'd show him just how intimidating she could be.

Breakfasts were fairly communal, though with staffing as it was many of the agents chose to make their own meals or cook together. Today, Ana had received an invitation to start the morning with Morrison, Reyes and a few other younger members, with Reinhardt's famous banana pancakes for the entre. She smiled; the food sounded delicious, but it was the company that caught her attention.

Reinhardt Wilhelm was the true definition of larger than life. And while he towered over the rest of Overwatch's members and had shoulders the width of two men, it was his personality that cemented that idea in her mind. With his bold-faced optimism and enormous smile he seemed to infect everyone around him with boisterous energy. And while he wouldn't hesitate to call out any wrongdoings or problems he perceived within the organization, he was just as quick to find a point to compliment and praise whenever they did well.

It was his blunt, yet warm, honesty that had drawn her to him at the beginning. And it was the same enthusiasm and gregariousness that made her smile softly as she found herself looking forward to the meal. A meal which she now noticed she was late for. Ana half-jogged the rest of the way to her destination, swinging the door open wide as she arrived.

"You're late."

Gabriel Reyes glanced up from his own pancakes, glaring at his companion.

"For fuck's sake, Jack, this isn't drill. She's allowed to show up when she wants," he muttered around a full mouth.

Jack Morrison raised his hands defensively. "I'm just noticing, that's all. She's not usually late."

"And you're not usually so unshaven, so it looks like we're all a bit off today," Ana bit back, walking lithely over to the spot left open for her. Her smile stayed, but it was a bit harder now. Leave it to Jack Morrison to sour a perfectly good morning.

Jack reached up to feel the stubble on his chin, shrugged, and took another bite. Gabriel shook his head with a chuckle, returning to his own food. From the kitchen, another voice boomed out.

"Is that the lovely voice of Miss Amari I hear?"

Ana's grin widened. From around the corner the large frame of Reinhardt Wilhelm appeared. He was wearing fatigue pants, a t-shirt and a hilariously small apron. A huge smile appeared on his face as he saw her.

"Ah, my ears do not deceive me!" he boomed out, his long arm reaching over to pat her shoulder affectionately. "And looking as elegant and beautiful as ever. No matter the time," he added, shooting a smirk at Jack. The younger man raised his hands, then let them drop in defeat.

Ana laughed easily. "Reinhardt, I'm dressed in plain clothes; there is nothing elegant about them."

"Ja, and I'm wearing an apron!" he agreed, laughing heartily. "It doesn't matter; you make anything elegant."

Ana chuckled, modestly covering her blush with her hand. "Reinhardt, you are always a charmer." She breathed in deeply as the pancakes were deposited on her plate, her mouth watering at the scent.

A slight cough caught her attention, and she glanced towards Gabriel. Her comrade raised an eyebrow at her, a smile playing at the edge of his lips as he glanced between her and the now-busy Reinhardt before wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Ana gave him a smile that very clearly said she would slit his throat in his sleep if he said a word. Gabriel chuckled to himself, busying himself with his pancakes once more as Jack gave him a confused look. Ana couldn't decide at the moment which one of the two was more infuriating.

The rest of the breakfast went on without fanfare, with Reinhardt joining the table soon after. Conversation drifted between missions, trainings, and their various personal lives, or lack thereof. Ana loved these breakfasts, and the conversations that came with them. It was an opportunity to get to know her teammates a little better, to bond as it were in ways and with topics that would rarely come up otherwise.

She knew Jack had a family that he was only partially estranged from, and that his older sister used to tease and pester him about just about everything. She knew that Gabriel was quite the linguist and had almost gone an entirely different direction with his career, a fact that he still shudders at the thought of. She knew the two of them had met in the super-soldier program and had become fast friends, a friendship holding despite the tension of Jack's promotion.

She had also learned about Reinhardt, though not nearly as much as she would have liked. And as the meal went on, she found herself studying him more and more. His movements, his words, the way he emoted and his attitude while talking about various topics. She had learned to read people quite well during her time in the military, something she was always proud of. Everything she read from the large German man only made her appreciate his company a little more.

"Rein, ya might wanna check your face for food. Ana keep's staring at it as though you've missed something with the napkin."

Ana froze at Gabriel's voice, a deep blush building from her collar. To her great relief, Reinhardt didn't notice.

"Do I? Ach, damned beard, always catching crumbs," he grumbled, dabbing at his chin with a napkin.

Ana ducked her head, shoving pieces of pancake into her mouth in an attempt to hide any expression she might have. After a subtle glance beneath the table, she kicked the toe of her boot into Gabriel's shin, causing the man to sputter on his glass of milk.

The bastard couldn't quite hide a smile, though.

"Ah well, it's time I started cleaning up anyways. Thank you all for joining me; breakfast together is always a treat!" Reinhardt exclaimed, standing to his full height before bowing respectfully to the group.

"No, thank you, Wilhelm," answered Jack, standing as well. "Your pancakes were fantastic."

"And coming from the Indiana flapjacks-are-my-life boy, you know that's a compliment," added Gabriel, earning himself an elbow to his ribs.

Ana stood, ignoring the squabbling two as she smiled once more at Reinhardt. "It is always a pleasure to see you, good friend," she said sweetly, her hand gently squeezing his forearm.

Reinhardt grinned. "With you, dear Ana, any morning is truly a pleasure. What is with the stares?" he asked, turning towards the other two who were now openly watching them.

Ana grit her teeth. It was time to go.

"I'll see you on the mats with the rest of the unit this afternoon, yes?" she called as she quickly walked to Gabriel and Jack, ushering them out the door. His answer sounded vaguely affirmative as they bustled outside, her hands digging into each of their arms.

"Not a word, either of you," she hissed as she let go, striding confidently away. The only response was Jack's confused sputtering and Gabriel's barely contained laughter.


	2. Molten Core

"So, when are you gonna ask him?"

Ana's head shot up at Gabriel's question. She glared at her comrade as he approached, quickly closing the notebook in front of her.

"Ask what of whom?" she quipped. "And aren't you supposed to be working on reports?"

"Got 'em done early. 'We showed up. We kicked ass. We left'." He shrugged, grinning as he sat across the table from her in the mess hall.

"Jack isn't going to be happy with that."

"Jack can suck my dick. It'll be more action than that Boy Scout's had recently anyways."

"You do realize I can hear you, right?" Jack deadpanned, joining the two with a tray of his own. Ana rolled her eyes and shot Gabriel a dirty look.

Gabriel laughed. "Yeah, I realize. Go ahead; tell me that I'm wrong."

Jack ignored his friend's barb, focusing instead on Ana. "And speaking of action, Gabe's right. When are you going to ask him?"

"Ask _whom what_?" Ana repeated, irritation showing in her voice.

"Ask Reinhardt out, for fuck's sake," exclaimed Gabriel, lifting his hands in exasperation.

"Language," Jack commented off-handedly. Gabriel ignored him.

Ana stared at the two for a moment, her mouth open. "Excuse the both of you! I have absolutely no intention of asking Sergeant Wilhelm anything of the sort!" she finally shot, crossing her arms. "And can you please keep your voices down? We do not need such colorful rumors being spread."

"That's funny, she usually calls him Reinhardt. Must've hit a nerve," Gabriel mused, sharing a glance with Jack. His friend only chuckled and continued to eat his mashed potatoes.

"Besides," he continued, "if you're worried about rumors, I've got some bad news."

Ana narrowed her eyes. "What did you do?"

"Me? I did nothing," Gabriel chuckled, raising his hands defensively. "But you two were quite the image on the mats this afternoon."

Ana didn't respond, the slightest blush brushing her cheeks.

"Then again, I can't blame them. I don't think anyone else had seen Reinhardt in any kind of training outside of his armor. He's a good looking dude. I've heard quite a few of the women, and even a few men on the base mention it. He seems to have his own fan club growing."

Ana restrained herself from asking exactly _whom_ he had heard talking about Reinhardt; looking jealous in this situation simply wouldn't do.

"We needed training in our hand-to-hand combat, and Reinhardt was kind enough to assist as a more physically imposing opponent," she finally replied, taking a sip of tea.

Gabriel laughed. "Physically imposing? He wiped the floor with everybody. I'd hate to be stuck in a ring with that man, serum or no!"

Jack nodded in agreement as Gabriel took another long drink of what Ana sincerely hoped wasn't liquor. "In any case, you were the only one who managed to stay on your feet for any length of time. Just the two of you, grappling, sweaty, working-"

" _Gabe!"_ Ana hissed, eyes darting towards the tables closest to them. Gabriel smiled smugly.

"I'm just repeating what everyone's been saying. And considering your just-barely-concealed flirting at brunch this morning, I figured it was only a matter of time."

Ana pinched the bridge of her nose, turning to her more sensible commander. "Jack, please tell me that Gabe is alone in his opinions."

Jack cleared his throat uncertainly. "Well, it is against policy to fraternize with any coworkers, so officially I would never condone anything along those lines…"

Gabriel scoffed, rolling his eyes. "But?"

"But… you two do have a certain amount of chemistry. I can't deny that," he finished, diving quickly into his meal once more.

Ana leaned back in her seat, defeated. "I can't believe this. Two commanders of Overwatch playing matchmaker like a couple of highschool children."

"Hey, we're just calling it as we see it," Reyes mumbled around a mouthful of steak.

Ana wrinkled her nose and tossed him a napkin. "Even if – and I'm not saying you're right – but even if I were… interested, I certainly wouldn't be the one to initiate anything. I would wait for him to make the first move."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "And how well has that one worked so far?"

This time she knew her hesitation lasted slightly too long. Gabriel's smug smile only grew wider, prompting her to swear at him in Egyptian.

"Uh… Language, I think." Jack muttered, forehead wrinkled at the language he didn't understand. Both companions ignored him.

" _If_ I wanted Reinhardt's attention, I assure you I would get it," Ana hissed. "But not by doing anything as crass as openly propositioning him. I would allow him to initiate while I simply dropped hints. Small flirting, casual invitations… the Little Things, if you will."

It was Jack who snorted this time. "Little Things? Ana, this is Reinhardt we're talking about. There's a reason he's kept away from anything remotely delicate. He doesn't notice the 'Little Things'. Hell, he doesn't notice half of the big things!"

Ana didn't bother replying, opting instead to sip her tea and glare at the men. Jack's expression softened, and he looked at her fondly.

"Look, Ana, you're a good friend and a damned good person-"

"Language." Both Ana and Gabriel mocked. Jack glared.

"- _And_ you know that I'm just trying to help. Obviously I'm not trying to push you into anything here, but you have to admit that out of everyone here you're probably the closest to Reinhardt aside from Torbjorn. The chemistry between you two is very palpable, that's all."

Glancing up, Gabriel clapped his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Speak of the Swedish Devil… Hey, Torbjorn!"

The blond engineer paused in his trip past their table, turning to give the group an irritated expression. "Hmm? What do you want, Reyes?"

"Quick question for you. You've got, what, three, four kids, right?"

Torbjorn nodded with a grunt.

"Well, we're trying to help out a friend here- ouch!" he exclaimed, recoiling from under the table as Ana's boot made contact with his shin. "Christ, woman!"

"We were curious how she got your attention. You know, let you know she was interested," Jack finished, giving the other two a patronizing gaze. Gabriel pointed at Ana, who calmly sipped her tea.

Torbjorn snorted, turning towards them as his face lost a bit of the irritation. "Well, I'll be the first to admit, I'm not too keen on such things. There were a few times she tried to drop hints, but I absolutely missed them."

Ana frowned slightly. "Then how did she finally get your attention?"

Torbjorn's eyes sparkled slightly and a faint grin pulled at his lips. "Well, after quite a few failed attempts, she finally got tired of me not getting' it and told me she wanted to see my Molten Core. After that, I mostly figured it out."

Ana felt her face going far too red for comfort, a graceful hand slipping into place over her eyes. Jack choked on part of his meal causing him to spasm in his seat. Gabriel, meanwhile, had erupted into a fit of laughter and was in danger of falling out of his chair. Seemingly pleased at the chaos he had caused, Torbjorn continued on his way, whistling some tune or another as he went.

Gabriel was finally able to manage his laughter enough to speak.

"That's perfect! See, Ana? That's what it takes! Ask him if his armor is the only hard thing about him!"

"Gabe, please."

"No, wait! Ask him about the hammer!"

"Gabriel, I'm begging you! Stop!"

"Tell him you wanna see him put his HAMMER DOWN!"

"GABRIEL REYES!"


End file.
